Broken Frontier

Hot on the heels of the Halloween season comes the second installation of the indie gem, School: A Ghost Story.

Twelve-year-old Lindsay Buckner has her share of problems: she’s stuck in an unrecognizable school (though the faces attending are familiar), some very bad ghosts are trying to take her soul; oh, and there’s the fact that she’s DEAD! Just over a year ago, poor Lindsay was viciously murdered. When she "awoke" she was bloody, frightened, confused and above all, angry. This anger and the shocking trauma of her death have prevented her soul from crossing into the hereafter. Instead, with a few clues and the smiley-faced helpers (also ghosts), she is now beginning to piece together what has happened to her and how she is to cope.

Defferding has an intriguing little story going here. The first issue brought up some interesting elements regarding the afterlife, but before the story really got rolling our time with Lindsay and her predicament was up. With this double-sized issue, though, we start getting some hints and answers to most of the more interesting plot points. Thankfully, it all makes sense within the confines of the story so far.

The dialogue doesn’t particularly crackle, but it doesn’t stink either. When the main character is an agitated pre-pubescent, you expect some swearing. One of the supporting characters even addresses this trait of Lindsay’s, making it a more palatable issue. Otherwise, much of the banter and fact sharing between the characters is down-to-earth and appealing.

What really stands out and gives this book its emotional ground is the artwork. While Defferding’s art may never win any awards, it is very clear and detailed. That can’t always be said of a black and white book because so much can be hidden in the shadows of the inking process. The panel layouts are also appealing and add some detail to both the overall theme as well as the angry, fractured psyche of a little girl lost in a nightmare version of Oz.

I suppose the best summation of this comic would be that it looks, feels and even sometimes reads like Shel Silverstein: The Early Years. That said, School: A Ghost Story is not something you’ll want to read to the little kiddies before bedtime…or before they’re teens for that matter. What comes after we die has always been something of a hot-button issue. It drives many to behave the way they do in life. While School may appear to be something for the younger crowd at first glance, there are some images and story elements that will haunt even the older generation.

It may seem pricey for a black and white independent book, but whether you’re a fan of horror or not, School: A Ghost Story is worth it.